Call Number:

RG4.024

Repository:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

Extent:

9 linear ft. (18 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item or series here], Friends Freedmen's Association Records, RG 4/024, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.

Date:

1863-1982 (inclusive)

Creator:

Friends Freedmen's Association, Haverford College, Guilford College, Earlham College, Christiansburg Industrial Institute, Bryn Mawr College, Freedmen's Friend (Cambria, Va.), and Friends' Association of Philadelphia and Its Vicinity, for the Relief of Colored Freedmen

Abstract:

Friends' Freedmen's Association was an organization of Philadelphia Quakers founded in 1863 as Friends' Association of Philadelphia and Its Vicinity, for the Relief of Colored Freemen. Its purpose was to provide relief and education to formerly enslaved people during and after the Civil War. The name was changed circa 1873. From 1947-1955 the Association supported black students in schools and summer work camps. From 1955-1970 the income from investments was used to provide grants for scholarship to needy black students. From 1970 income and principal was distributed yearly primarily among Bryn Mawr, Earlham, Guilford, and Haverford Colleges. In January 1982 the Association was dissolved. The funds were distributed among the four colleges named above to be used as aid to black students as the J. Henry Scattergood Scholarship Fund. The collection contains the records of the Friends' Freedmen's Association, including minutes, charter, by-laws, minutes, reports, and publications. Also includes material relating to the Association's initial efforts to provide relief and instruction to people emancipated from slavery in the South, its subsequent development of school for the children of freedmen, its support and management the Christiansburg Industrial Institute, Cambria, Virginia, and its more recent efforts to support education for blacks at various colleges.

In March 1862 a group of Philadelphia Orthodox Quaker women formed "the Women's Aid Association on behalf of the destitute freed Negroes in the Southern States". In November 1863 a corresponding group of Orthodox men Friends organized "the Friends Association of Philadelphia and its vicinity for the Relief of Colored Freedmen" [later changed to "Friends Freedmen's Association of Philadelphia] which worked closely with the Women's Aid Committee. By 1864 Committees on clothing, instruction, publication, farming, stores, as well as nominations, had been established.

In the 1860's and 1870's, the Association was concerned both with relief work and with the establishment of schools for the children of formerly enslaved people. By 1868 there were 25 schools in North Carolina and Virginia, managed and supported by the Association, and later the number of schools increased to 46. By end of the century the counties and states had assumed the role of supplying rudimentary education of African American youth, and the relief work which had been such a large part of the Association's early activity was no longer necessary. Friends' Freedmen's Association channeled its interest and finances into the Christiansburg Industrial Institute, Montgomery County, VA. The Institute was founded in 1866 by Captain Charles Schaeffer, but shortly thereafter its management and financial support were taken over by Friends' Freedmen's Association.

The Christiansburg Industrial Institute grew to include a farm, a Primary and Intermediate School (Hill School) and a High School (Institute) teaching, in addition to academic work, farming, carpentry, blacksmithing, printing, sewing, cooking and household arts. In 1934 the title of the Hill School passed to the Montgomery County School Board, which also took over the management and operation of the Institute, though the title remained in the hands of Friends' Freedmen's Association until 1947.

From 1947-1955 the Association supported black students in schools and summer work camps. From 1955-1970 the income from investments was used to provide grants for scholarship to needy black students. From 1970 income and principal was distributed yearly primarily among Bryn Mawr, Earlham, Guilford, and Haverford Colleges. In January 1982 the Association was dissolved. The funds were distributed among the four colleges named above to be used as aid to black students as the J. Henry Scattergood Scholarship Fund.

Contains the records of the Friends' Freedmen's Association, including minutes, charter, by-laws, minutes, reports, and publications. Also includes material relating to the Association's initial efforts to provide relief and instruction to people recently emancipated from slavery in the South, its subsequent development of school for the children of freedmen, its support and management the Christiansburg Industrial Institute, Cambria, Virginia, and its more recent efforts to support education for blacks at various colleges.

The collection is organized into twenty-four series. The series are:

1. Charter and By-Laws
2. Executive Board
3. Instruction Committee
4. Committee Reports
5. Statistics of Schools
6. School Reports
7. Correspondence Sent
8. Correspondence Received
9. Correspondence
10. Annual Reports
11. Financial
12. Schedule of Goods Forwarded
13. Woman's Aid Committee
14. WAC Financial Records
15. WAC Correspondence Received
16. Christiansburg Industrial Institute
17. Catalogues
18. Financial Papers
19. Miscellaneous Papers
20. The Freedmen's Friend
21. Miscellaneous Printed
22. Newspaper Clippings
23. Memorabilia
24. Correspondence

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